At The End Of The World
by Hope Shalott
Summary: ...there is only us left.


**Title:** At The End Of The World

**Summary**: "At the end of the world, there is only us left."

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

**Characters:** Leah/Jacob

**Genre: **Love, Hope, Tragedy**.**

**Rating**: K (Teen)

**Warnings:** Apocalypse. Could be quite depressing depending on what frame of mind you're in. Mentions imprinting.

**Status**: Completed/One Shot

**Archiving**: Please PM me.

**Inspirations/Dedications: **_Held_ by Natalie Grant

**Author's Notes: ~**

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><p><strong>At The End Of The World<strong>

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><p>There is nobody left but us and in one way that's surprising and in another way it's not. It won't be long now. Yesterday's newspaper gave us a few hours at best and we've already outlasted that.<p>

Do you wonder if they'll be waiting for us?

We lost so many of them, to leeches, to imprints, to life. Good, real human life.

"I want to die with my children." That's what Seth told me. Susan was only six when he stopped phasing. I can hardly remember teasing him when his hair started turning grey but I did. I know I did.

I'm glad I got to hold his hand.

People are starting to panic but we don't. I can't even remember how old we are now. Can you?

It's not that I'm tired. How could I ever be tired when I have you beside me? I just feel content, I suppose. We've had a good long life, maybe more than we deserve. Definitely more than is fair. How can we complain that it's nearly over?

Did you hear the news yesterday? Complete obliteration they said. The leeches are running scared. They probably thought they could hide it out in a nuclear bunker or something but instead they'll burn like the rest of us. Kinda poetic really. They've started feeding in the streets now. There's a small coven just a few miles of here. We'll have to put a stop to that before we go. Duty doesn't end until you're dead.

You're not even a little worried are you? You've been looking out over the cliffs for at least an hour now. Not moving, barely breathing. Practising maybe. Remember when this was a beach and we used to dive off the edge right into the water? There's not many beaches left. Not much water either.

Even after all these years just looking at you leaves me breathless. You have the same solid build, the same straight nose. Your expression is soft and hopeful. How can you still look so young after all we've seen?

"Do you still love me like you loved me then?" I ask.

You turn your head and look right into me. "No. I love you more."

My heart breaks and heals again. All I've ever _needed_ was you.

The screaming starts not long after. It must be getting close now. I look towards the city, sky scrapers looming. There used to be trees. We used to run in the forest. Maybe we were young and stupid for thinking that would last forever...or _could_ last forever.

"I bet you some of the leeches made it. Well, this far at least. You remember, the ones who used to live here?"

Your eyes narrow slightly as you try to remember their names. It's hard when you're as old as we are and it's been so many years. You remember Bella. I guess it's true that you never forget your first love. I still remember Sam, so noble and proud. He died so long ago I've forgotten how. Was it old age or did a leech get him?

"They will have," you say. "They were always good at hiding when the shit hit the fan."

There's no bitterness. It's been too long for any of that to linger. They were as close to friends as their kind could be to us.

You broke your imprint for me. That's something I will never forget. I remember where, when, how. I remember how I cried and struck out at you and you held my hands and promised me that nothing would ever come between us again. Looks like you kept that promise, huh? I have a slight feeling that I owe you some money for that. You were always a gambling man. I suppose that's how we ended up here. _Let's just keep doing it until we get bored. _

I could do this forever but I guess the world just can't keep up with us.

"Do you believe that there's something after this?"

You nod without pause and your certainty comforts me. "Definitely. I think we'll just start all over again."

"But we all won't be together."

You pull me closer and your lips brush my forehead. "I'll find them," you say. Then your lips find mine, so familiar it hurts. "I'll find _you_. No matter what."

I snuggle in closer to you because with your arms around me, I'm never as afraid. "Maybe the old religions were right. Maybe we'll just meet up on a cloud or something and live in paradise together."

You snort and suddenly I'm young again. Barely twenty five and rolling my eyes as Embry and Quil brawl across the living room. I can smell my mom's frybread and hear Seth convincing Amy Hollis that an imprint means nothing. _She_ is the center of his universe. Your eyes catch mine. "Look at what you've started," I mouth to you and you just give me a look that burns me up from the inside. I never told you but right then I made a vow that wherever you went, I would be with you. To heaven, to hell or right back into the earth, I would be at your side.

There is a lump in my throat as I remember what we've lost but somehow, I am comforted by it. Your arms around me feel stronger and if I close my eyes I can imagine that your embrace is joined by others, that the wind in my hair is my mother's fingertips.

In this moment, I realise that they have never left us. As long as we have existed we have been held and comforted.

This is what it means to be loved.

~fin~


End file.
